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(For immediate release: Greenwich, CT – Friday, January 29, 2010) Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Sidney A. Freund, has announced the appointment of Dr. Robert V. Lichtenfeld as Interim Managing Director of Operations, effective Monday, February 1, 2010. Dr. Lichtenfeld retired as Superintendent of Schools from the Katonah-Lewisboro School District having served in the district for twenty-nine years. Dr. Freund said, “Bob is an experienced education leader and has extensive knowledge on managing the operations of a school district. As a Greenwich resident and member of the RTM, he knows the community; and as a parent of two Greenwich High School graduates, he knows the schools. We are very fortunate and grateful that he has agreed to assist us during this time oftransition.” Dr. Lichtenfeld will assume the responsibilities of the position open due to Dr. Susan Wallerstein’s retirement, including Budget and Systems, Facilities and Maintenance, Transportation, Food Services, and IT/MIS. He will support the departments in moving forward with the projects, initiatives and goals currently in progress and planned for this year

BIO BRIEF: Robert V. Lichtenfeld

After beginning his career in education in New York City, NY as an elementary and special education teacher, and ultimately an Assistant Principal, Dr. Lichtenfeld left the New York City schools in 1972 to become Principal of an independent school, Rye Country Day School in Rye, NY. He returned to the public school system in 1978 as Principal of Lewisboro Elementary School, thus beginning his 29-year tenure with the Katonah-Lewisboro School District (KLSD). From 1980 to 1984, he served as Principal for John Jay Junior High School, and then as Assistant Superintendent for KLSD for sixteen years (1984-1999) before becoming Superintendent for the District in 1999. Dr. Lichtenfeld has a track record of success in improving achievement for students, providing professional development for staff, mplementing new programs designed to improve outcomes, managing large-scale facility projects, and planning for long-term improvement in the schools

Dr. Lichtenfeld received his B.A. from New York University, New York, NY; and his Masters inEducation, Masters in Educational Administration and his Doctorate of Education from ColumbiaUniversity Teachers College in New York City, NY

Have you seen the 'Post' yet?

The Greenwich Post came out yesterday. Have you seen what’s inside? Here are a few of the news items and features in this week’s issue. The Post is available on newsstands today, and online and by mail to subscribers.

News:

• Representative Town Meeting Moderator Thomas Byrne has fired off a five-page memo in response to suggestions that the procedures he followed in voting for moderator pro tempore at last week’s RTM meeting might have been less than proper.

• Yankee manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman brought the World Series trophy to Convent of the Sacred Heart on Tuesday to give invited staff, students and families a closer look.

• The Greenwich Post has launched a new photo series highlighting an adoptable dog from one of the town’s shelters. This week, meet Tyke, an affectionate five-year-old pit bull terrier.

• The case of a Greenwich man accused of murdering his daughter and attempting to commit suicide has been pushed back as the Superior Court judge says he wants to deal with the issue of probable cause first.

• Teens at Greenwich High School are shedding light on teen dating violence as the community reports that about 13% of teens in Connecticut report abuse.

• After problems with mold at the modulars during Hamilton Avenue School construction, a sect of parents who now have children at Western Middle School say they are displeased with the choice of a remediation company to clean up mold at Western.

• The plans for a major renovation to Nathaniel Witherell will head to the Planning and Zoning Commission for review now that the Board of Selectman have granted the project municipal improvement status.

• First Selectman Peter Tesei says this year’s budget for captail projects will require the town to make some “hard choices” as costs for proposed projects exceed the money available. However advocates for the high school auditorium and the proposed Central Fire Station say both projects cannot be delayed.

• With a lawsuit behind it, the way is cleared for the Greenwich Police Department to finally make promotions.

• Police followed buses around town this week to make sure drivers follow the rules of the road and give buses respect on the road after a number of complaints from residents.

• With the recent school opening, Glenville is getting buzz among young families looking to settle down in Greenwich.

Opinion

• With the recent passing of a town tree ordinance, JoAnn Messina of the Greenwich Tree Conservancy is calling for the community to reach out to her organization with a donation to help preserve town trees.

• Abilis, Fairfield County’s provider of support to teens with developmental disabilities, recently teamed up with Arch Street Teen Center to provide a night of fun for Abilis families.

• The proposed cell tower first proposed for North Mianus and then the Montgomery Pinetum is still causing a stir among residents as the town debates the appropriate place for a tower, and whether Greenwich needs one at all.

• Jim Cameron shares the story of P.T. Barnum’s love of the rails. Could Rell be taking on his role as an advocate for commuter trains?

• While there is nothing in the town charter about taking a recount on an RTM election vote, we suggest that a vehicle be put in place to do so.

• Mary Ann Clark says sellers need to know the rules if they want to play the game. Price a house right and be cooperative with showings and a house will sell, she says.

• Andrew Szabo answers questions about Roth IRAs and whether they are a good choice for retirement investments.

• “Poor Bette Davis may not have gotten the romantic lead later in life, but she knew what she was talking about when she grumbled, ‘Old age ain’t for sissies.’” Says Joe Pisani in his column on Baby Boomers.

About Town

• The Greenwich Commission on Aging is planning to hold a free seminar titled “Rescuing Your Retirement” on Feb. 20.

• Gus Ruchman of Cos Cob won second place in a “Faces and Figures” art contest through the Stamford Art Association Gallery.

• More than 500 people came out for the Greenwich Hospital Emergency Department “My Kind of Town” gala. Proceeds will help the department handle its 41,000 visits a year.

• The Fairfield County chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will honor the Eck family at its annual spring gala this May.

• Best-selling author Peg Tyre will spend the evening next Thursday talking about her ground-breaking book “The Trouble with Boys.”

• The Department of Parks and Recreation will hold “Hoops Week” during the Greenwich Public Schools’ winter recess Feb. 15 to 18.

• The Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy will hold an information symposium on brain cancer and searching for a breakthrough with cell gene therapy.

• WGCH Radio will hold a three-day radiothon to benefit Adopt-A-Dog Friday through Sunday.

• The Boys and Girls Club will hold a pool party for sixth graders Friday from 7 to 9:30.

• Audubon Greenwich will hold a breakfast and live animal show from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

• The Musicians from Marlboro perform with two vocalists as part of the Friends of Greenwich Library Cole Concert Series

• Great Chef Rafael Palomino met with media on Tuesday as the 25th annual Great Chefs culinary event kicks off a month of preparation. The event will be Friday, Feb. 26 at the Greenwich Hyatt.

• Lisa Lowden and Jacques Larsen married at the North Castle Town Hall in Armonk on Jan. 7.

• Pianst Tracey Lyons, a local musician, shared her talents in a presentation at a recent meeting of the Business Networking International Greenwich chapter.

• Jane D. Marsh of Greenwich was named vice president of executive search for Connecticut and Westchester County, N.Y. by the National Executive Service Corps.

The Greenwich Time Tries To Report On What Happened With Tony Byrne But No One At The Greenwich Board Of Education Or In Town Govenment Is Talking

One Month After Security Escorted Tony Byrne Out Of BOE Headquarters.....Greenwich Time Cub Reporter Colin "BOE BROWN NOSE" Gustafson Starts To Ask questions About Tony Byrne, But Hits A Stone Wall With The Powers That Be

School officials declined to discuss the reasons for Byrne's departure, saying it was a confidential matter.

"I'm not going to discuss personnel, one way or the other," Superintendent of Schools Sidney Freund said.

Efforts to reach Byrne, whose absence began Jan. 4, on Thursday were unsuccessful.

"I was told (Byrne) was going to be retiring," First Selectman Peter Tesei said. He declined to discuss the matter further, saying it does not fall within his authority as first selectman.

District employees were notified of Byrne's absence in an internal memo on Jan. 4, a school official said.

Byrne earned $138,758.27 in the 2009 calendar year.....

.......As facilities director, Byrne was responsible for helping select contractors for school-related construction projects and maintenance work. He also supervised the work of these contractors, oversaw the district's capital projects, and managed the budget and operations of the custodial staff, a school official said.

His job has been filled on a temporary basis by Susan Chipouras, an independent contractor who worked with Milford-based Turner Construction during its management of Glenville School's reconstruction.........

....Town Attorney John Wayne Foxalso declined to comment on Byrne's decision to take leave.

Who Knows Maybe Tony Byrne Was Taking Kick Backs From Charles Schwartz, who the Hamilton Avenue School parents proved was no longer licensed, nor is his company Environmental Assessments & Solutions, Inc. registered with any reputable Environmental Agency or Group.

Superintendent of Schools Sidney Freund believes his success as the town's latest education leader depends heavily on the success of his teachers and how effectively his administration supports them.

That's why some of his first moves since taking over as the superintendent have included holding off on introducing new initiatives that might add to the burden on educators and expanding the use of so-called "data teams" to set priorities from the ground up, he said.....

The Public Schools Don't Need Any Freaking "DATA TEAMS". They Need Empowered Parental Investigative Teams Who Will Put And End To The Fraud Waste And Abuse That Is Bankrupting The Single Family Homeowners Of Greenwich.

A Board of Education employee in Greenwich, Connecticut was fired for allegedly taking "kick-backs" on the Hamilton Ave school project. It is alleged that Tony Burns, the former Facility Director for the BOE, received payments from ...

.....His lawyer, Eugene Riccio, asked the judge to sentence Burke to the minimum of 120 days in prison, arguing that Burke had a disease and more jail time was not warranted.

"Simply put, my client has a disease and the disease is alcoholism," Riccio said.....

....Riccio said a jail term was likely going to lead to the loss of his job teaching and coaching at Greenwich High School.

However, the prosecutor, Assistant State's Attorney David Applegate, said Burke was lucky he didn't injure himself or others while driving drunk and never took advantage of the second chances he was given.

"I think he is lucky," said Applegate. "He is so lucky that car veered to the right and hit a stone wall that night. It was a busy road and he shouldn't have been behind the wheel of a car. That's why he is here today. It's not because he is an alcoholic.".....

.....Wenzel ultimately sentenced Burke to a two-year jail term suspended after six months and three years of probation. Burke will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service when he is released, attend a victim's impact panel and will only be able to drive with an alcohol monitoring device installed in his car.

Burke was escorted away by court marshals following the sentencing in handcuffs. Riccio requested an appellate bond for Burke to be able to get out of jail while an appeal is filed, but the judge denied that.

"I think it's in his best interest to move forward," said Wenzel.

School district officials declined to comment Thursday on the status of Burke's employment with the school as a teacher and coach now that he has been sentenced.....

When Greenwich High School Mothers Were Ignored By The Greenwich Board Of Education And The Greenwich Time.

They Came To Greenwich Roundup And Got Results.

It Was The Same Story ......

When The Hamilton Avenue School Mothers Were Ignored By The Greenwich Board Of Education And The Greenwich Time.

They Came To Greenwich Roundup And Got Results.

Here was one of the first emails About Coach Paul Burke.....

Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 6:59 PM

As a local parent and sports mom, I was recently notified that the Lacrosse coach Paul Burke at GHS has recently received his 4th DWI. I am stunned and outraged that this man still hold this position of leadership and authority!

Where is the local news coverage?

That would explain the lack of town outrage - though there are many upset parents at GHS. This lackadaisical handling of our schools also affects real estate values. Perhaps you can look into this or open a discussion. What do you think?

Here is another email......

Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 8:17 PM

There was a meeting last night at the high school where coach Paul Burke read a prepared statement. He has figured out a way to get out of 4 DWI's and avoid jail by having his arraignment delayed by several weeks so he only has 3 DWIs within a certain period.I am not up on the exact specifics and I was not at the meeting last night but heard about it from friends who were there. There was no Greenwich Time coverage today in the paper - I guess I should not be surprised.

I am very concerned about my incoming lacrosse player.

Not the role model I was hoping for.

Over And Over And Over Greenwich Roundup Has Covered The Stories That The Greenwich Time Was Afraid Of.